Crisis: Immigration rising again but not in Italy, OECD

Emigration increasing with worsening economic situation

(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, JUNE 27 - Migration to the countries of
the OECD continued to fall in 2010
(-3%) as a result of the crisis. But in 2011, with the economic
situation improving, immigration started to rise ''in most
European countries except Italy." This emerged from the 2012
OECD report on immigration. The report that was presented today
by secretary-general Angel Gurria also states that emigration in
''Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain increased, though
modestly."
The 399-page OECD report indicates that migration diminished in
2010 for the third consecutive year, totalling 4.1 million
people in 23 countries plus Russia.
The statistical 'picture' of immigration in Italy shows that
4.57 million immigrants were living permanently in the country
on January 1 2011, with foreigners totalling 7.5% of the entire
Italian population. Of this group, around a quarter are
Romanians (969,000), the most numerous followed by Albanians
(483,000) and Moroccans (452,000).

The number of residence permits released to non-European
citizens in 2010 (599,000) increased by 16.4% from the previous
year. Sixty-two percent of these permits were valid for more
than 12 months.

The OECD report also mentions the flow of 60,300 illegal
migrants between January and August 2011, as well as the fact
that ''the new government that was formed in November 2011 has
made the reform of the citizenship law, blocked in parliament
since December 2009, one of its priorities, particularly for
foreigners who were born in Italy." (ANSAmed).